Justin Peters leads Hurricanes past Jets, 3-1

AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Woods
Winnipeg Jets' Chris Thorburn (22) and Carolina Hurricanes' Tim Gleason (6) fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Saturday.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) —

Justin Peters made 34 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes keep their playoff hopes alive with a 3-1 victory over the Southeast Division-leading Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Alexander Semin and Eric Staal each had a goal and an assist, and Jussi Jokinen also scored for Carolina. The Hurricanes snapped a seven-game winless streak to improve to 16-15-2 and move within four points of the Jets.

Olli Jokinen scored for Winnipeg. The Jets dropped to 18-16-2.

The Hurricanes opened the scored their barely over a minute into the game when Semin snapped one after Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec blocked Staal's wrap-around attempt.

Jussi Jokinen's wrister at 9:41, a second after the end of Carolina's first power play, made it 2-0.

Olli Jokinen put Winnipeg on the board at 1:26 of the second off a neat backward pass from Evander Kane as he passed the Carolina net.

Any momentum the Jets built up in the second was sapped by four penalties, including three that overlapped giving the Hurricanes a couple of brief 5-on-3 chances.

Winnipeg played almost half a period at least one man short, but the Hurricanes couldn't beat Pavelec.

But Staal opened the third by snapping one in from the right faceoff circle 28 seconds into the period.

NOTES: Carolina had gone 0-6-1 in their previous seven games, including a 4-1 loss to the Jets on Tuesday. ... The Jets won both their games in Carolina this season and the Hurricanes get one more crack at them April 18 when they play their last in Winnipeg this season.